


After the Proposal

by Fallen_Angel_Meg



Series: Imperfect Proposals [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Proposal Fusion, Angst, Bottom Dean, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Top Castiel, architect!Dean, architect!castiel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 18:08:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11362821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Angel_Meg/pseuds/Fallen_Angel_Meg
Summary: If only life was a rom-com. Nothing else would matter after the reunion, after the love confessions and the fleeting moment of bliss. Dean and Castiel knew that wouldn't be the case for them after everything they've been through. Not by a long shot. They knew their second engagement - the real one - wasn't going to be the stuff of fairy tales, but that doesn't mean they're not going to try their damnedest to still get that happily ever after. As difficult as the road may be.





	After the Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys :) So I know a lot of people have been asking about the epilogue, and I'm happy to say that it's finally here! Just last year on this day, I posted the first chapter of Imperfect Proposals. I had no idea what kind of response I would get from it, but the love everyone's shown me for it was definitely not what I expected. I do want to apologize that it's taken so long for me to get my shit together for the epilogue, but I'm happy to say I'm finally satisfied with it after scraping it and starting over so many times. You've all been so patient and kind, and that meant so much to me. Thank you ♥ 
> 
> I would like to make a note of the format for this epilogue, and some may even see it as a sequel since it's gotten rather lengthy for an epilogue. There will be multiple parts/chapters with the tags being updated along the way, so don't worry that things aren't exactly resolved yet. There's more to come ;)
> 
> And finally, thank you to [Naomi](http://adoringjensen.tumblr.com) for being my amazing beta!

**February**

Dean arches off the too small bed, gasping for breath that never seems to come.

“Fuck, _Cas_!”

The hand that was tangled in his hair moves to press him back into the bed, the other covering his mouth to muffle his moans and sporadic cries of pleasure.

“Gabriel’s going to kick us out if you keep making so much noise,” Cas murmurs breathlessly in his ear, but Dean couldn’t give a fuck.

“Let him,” he huffs, though the words are stifled by Cas’ hand. Seriously, how can anyone expect Dean to control himself when Cas has his cock buried in his ass and he feels so magnificently filled?

Castiel chuckles and replaces his hand with his lips, swallowing any other noises and curses that slip past Dean’s lips despite his best efforts to contain them. Okay, maybe not his _best_ efforts. Cas continues to roll his hips to meet Dean’s ass, cock expertly hitting that sweet spot and Dean’s getting pretty damn close. He can tell by the small hitches of breath that Cas is too.

“Cas – _fuck_. I’m close,” Dean groans against his lips. At that, Castiel wraps a hand around Dean’s cock and begins to stroke in time with his thrusts.

“Come on, Dean. Come for me.” Cas grins against his lips.

That’s it. That’s all it takes. Dean’s body shudders as he comes over Castiel’s hand and onto his own stomach. And no, he definitely does not _whimper_ as Cas strokes him through his orgasm. He’s barely done shaking through the after waves when Cas pulls out and starts jerking off over Dean’s body. Dean gazes up at him, completely entranced at the beautiful way Cas’ mouth falls slack and his eyes flutter shut, moaning something sinful as he comes on Dean’s stomach. Dean carefully nudges Cas’ hands out of the way and takes over in working him through his orgasm, making Castiel’s body jerk and twitch with the moan sounding a little more desperate than before. Dean doesn’t stop until Cas is shying away from the touch, oversensitive, and pushes Dean’s hand away.

“You always do that,” he accuses, though the post-orgasm haze doesn’t allow any heat to the words.

Dean cocks a lazy smirk up at him. “You do it to me.”

Castiel huffs a small breath but doesn’t deny it. Instead, he leans over and begins lapping up the come splattered across Dean’s stomach. Dean hums, quite enjoying the feeling of Cas’ soft tongue against his burning skin. When Cas finishes cleaning him up, he stretches up to give Dean a tender kiss and wow, Dean really likes the taste of them both on Cas’ tongue. The kiss doesn’t last too long before Cas collapses on the bed, half on top of Dean. It’s the only way they can comfortably fit, anyway.

They’re letting their heart rates continue to slow and their breathing even out, both startling when there’s an obnoxious pounding on the door.

“Are you two bunnies done for the night?”

Cas groans, hiding his face in Dean’s neck and Dean just scoffs.

“Are you gonna learn to stop asking stupid questions?”

“Better watch yourself, Dean-o. I’ll stick something in your carry on and security will have a grand ol’ time with you.” The smile is way too apparent in Gabriel’s voice, even from behind a door.

“We’re done. Please go away,” Castiel pipes up this time. Dean rolls his eyes at the way Gabe’s chuckle disappears down the hall until it’s silenced behind a closed door.

They lay in silence. Dean’s not sure how much time passes. He stares up at the dark ceiling, idly tracing his fingers along the length of Cas’ back while Cas does the same along Dean’s collarbone.

“That young couple liked my design proposal.”

“The house with the little courtyard in the middle?”

“Yes.”

Dean smiles. “I told you they would.”

“It feels strange.” Cas’ breath tickles Dean’s skin.

“What, getting back in the saddle?” Dean feels Cas nod against his chest. “Hey, this is a good thing, right? I thought you were happy about going back to work.”

“No – of course I am. It feels good to work again, but… I can’t help but feel like people are waiting for me to screw up.” Cas lets out a quiet sigh, and Dean tenses up.

“Is someone giving you grief? I thought you said that Ishim guy was supposed to be cool.”

“No one’s giving me a hard time, Dean,” Castiel says with a hint of amusement to his tone, but it fades. “Ishim and I did work together as interns for a firm. I’m not sure we could’ve been defined as friends outside of work, but our professional relationship was well enough, which is why I think he contacted me about taking the position. But you’d be surprised at who knows who in this line of work.”

“What do you mean?”

Cas hesitates. “Ishim knows Bartholomew.”

Anger flares up in Dean at the mere mention of the stupid name. “Is that dick still trying to ruin your career?” He wouldn’t put it past the guy either. Ever since Dean left Designs of Divinity, he still keeps in touch with Anna every now and then. She gives him updates about what’s going on. Recently, however, they’ve been about Bartholomew.

When Dean gave up the Talbot project, Bartholomew was selected by default to take charge. That was already a blow to Bartholomew’s precious ego, but he’s so far up his own ass, he still strutted around like he could walk on water. He was arrogant when Cas left, getting all of Cas’ clients and Bela because of it. Man, he acted like he owned the place instead of Metatron. According to Anna, that kind of arrogance didn’t please Ms. Talbot.

From what Dean’s heard, Bela picked apart every aspect of Bartholomew’s design plan, finding some sort of flaw or mediocrity for what she was paying for the estimates and her time. It went on for months before Bela demanded back her initial deposit and personally tore up the contract. Balthazar, being the sneaky little shit he is, managed to get a video of the whole thing, including how Bartholomew completely lost his professionalism and called her “a spoiled, petulant bitch.” Yeah, after the douche was fired, his reputation was trashed. Which is why it wouldn’t surprise Dean that Bartholomew would still try to ruin Cas’ image to make himself look better. What’s the saying? A drowning man will clutch at a straw?

“Not exactly,” Cas murmurs. “Ever since the whole Bela incident happened, he’s been reaching out to his old contacts for work, including Ishim. Knowing Bartholomew though, he brought up what happened and now Ishim just… Everyone must think I’m some sort of joke.”

“Hey,” Dean tilts Cas’ chin upwards so their eyes can catch through the dark, “If anyone’s the joke, it’s that asshat. Ishim would be an idiot to believe whatever bullshit comes from Bart’s mouth. You’re already proving yourself, Cas.” The tiniest of smiles pulls at Cas’ mouth and he reaches up to give Dean a soft kiss.

“I hope you’re right.”

Dean gives him another kiss. “I am.”

Cas settles his head back on Dean’s shoulder, arm winding around his waist as Dean hugs him close. They fall into another silence, but just when Dean starts to think Cas fell asleep, he asks a barely audible question.

“What time’s your flight tomorrow?”

Dean frowns.

“7:15.”

More silence. This is always the worst part about these visits. Okay, maybe the actual flying is the worst part, but leaving is definitely a strong contender for the position. It was September when they got engaged again, and now it’s February. They’ve been at this long distance relationship for just over five months and it really fucking sucks. Dean’s been flying out to Vancouver for these quick weekend visits, and while they’re amazing, they’re also the worst.

These visits taunt them. Reminds them both of what happened that led to them living in separate countries. Of how they were both idiots and because of it, now they have to make the best of their forty eight-ish hours together. It’s all so messy, Dean can’t even begin to think of what they’re supposed to do next.

For the time being, Cas is safe in Canada. Thanks to douche-canoe Zach, he was able to return back to Canada voluntarily with his record clean of any kind of order of removal - which according to Sam, is a blessing. If that happened, Cas would’ve had to kiss away any sort of chance of returning to the States ever again. For now, Cas has to wait out five years before he can reapply and work through that other legal shit that makes Dean’s head spin. The thing is though, what are they supposed to do in the meantime?

As much as Dean’s willing to face his fear of flying to see Cas, they can’t keep this up for _five_ _fucking_ _years_. There’s only so much money they have for plane tickets. Only so much Dean’s heart can take of the anxiety and fear that comes with stepping foot in an airport. Only so many times Dean can lie in an empty bed at the end of the day and wish Cas was there with him.

“Cas… We can’t keep doing this,” Dean whispers.

“I know,” Cas murmurs back.

“You know I’m willing to get on a plane to see you, but only for a couple days out of each month? Neither of us can afford this and that’s not how I want to start our lives together.”

“I don’t exactly see another viable option, Dean.”

“Yes, there is.”

“No.”

Dean sighs in frustration and untangles his body from under Cas’, swinging his legs over the side of the bed while running a hand through his hair.

“Can you not be a stubborn asshole for five minutes and just let me do this? Jesus Christ, Cas, how do you expect us to make it if we continue down this road? What kind of life is that?” Dean’s trying to keep his tone under control, but it’s getting really damn hard.

The stirring of the sheets tells of Cas sitting up behind him, but not making any moves to close the newly created gap between them. “I’ve already complicated your life enough as it is. I can’t ask you to move away from your family, let alone to a new country altogether.”

“You’re not asking anything because I want to move. Cas, I’m tired. I’m tired of traveling, I’m tired of planning. I’m… I’m tired of missing you. Dammit, Cas, I’m so tired of missing you.”

There’s a long moment of silence before Cas’ whispered words choke into the darkness.

“I miss you too.”

“Then please…” Dean pivots so they’re face to face again. “Look, I hear you. I know you’re only trying to think of me, but don’t. I know what I want, and this is it.”

“You’ll resent me. Maybe not now, but you will at some point.”

“I won’t. If I don’t after all we’ve been through, then I can guarantee it won’t happen in however many years you think I will.”

There’s a pause.

“We couldn’t possibly have enough money to afford a house.”

Despite the fact that Dean’s sitting, he feels like his body could buckle out from under him and he can’t help but laugh.

“One step at a time, Cas. We’ll figure it out.”

*****

“You look like you could use a drink.”

Dean would roll his eyes at Charlie’s tease if he didn’t feel like he was about to pass out, even though he’s been on solid ground for just over an hour now.

“Sounds about right,” Dean mutters as he clicks his seat belt into place and Charlie pulls away from the curb.

“ _Sooo_ ,” Charlie leads, dragging out the ‘o’, “How was your visit? How’s Cas? Did you guys elope?”

Dean presses his thumb and index finger into his eyes at the onslaught of questions, but chuckles quietly nonetheless. “Jesus, Charlie. Can’t a guy get his bearings a little before the interrogation starts?”

“I gave you until you put your seat belt on. Now spill.”

Dean huffs, but he’s not annoyed in the slightest. “You know how it goes – seeing him is awesome and all but it’s just never enough. He’s good, though. It’s been a bit hard getting back into the swing of things work-wise – I guess there’s an old colleague who knew Bartholomew who’s giving him some trouble, but you know Cas. He can stand his own and make everyone else eat their words. And I thought you said you’d personally kill us both if we got married without you there.”

Charlie nods as he talks, keeping her eyes on the headlight-illuminated road in front of them and flashing him a smile at the last remark. “I know. Just making sure.”

Dean returns the smile tiredly. “I wish it were that easy, though. This whole situation is such a mess –  we haven’t even touched the subject of a wedding. It seems the only thing we’re able to plan are these weekend trips but…” Dean trails off, shaking his head.

“They’re a temporary fix,” Charlie concludes for him.

“Yeah.” While a lull follows the conversation, Dean debates if this is the right time to tell her. Is there ever really a good time to tell someone you’re moving to another country? Charlie’s been the most supportive out of everyone in this whole endeavor, she’ll understand, right?

“You’re over there trying to figure out how to tell me you’re moving, aren’t you.”

Dean glances over at her, mouth dropping open. Charlie didn’t even phrase it as a question, but he can’t bring himself to deny it. Sometimes it’s scary how well Charlie knows him. She’s his best friend for a reason, which is why she laughs at his widened eyes and gaping mouth.

“I knew you staying here was only going to last for so long, Dean. Not just me, all of us. And you should go. After all the shit you and him have been through, start your lives already! Home isn’t confined to one place. It’s wherever family is.”

A lump forms in Dean’s throat at the words. Honestly, he hasn’t known the concept of home for a long time. Before moving to Chicago, what he thought was home slowly turned into a prison, what with how rocky his relationship with John was and then the crumbling one between him and Jo. Every place he turned, there were bittersweet memories of his childhood. Then there was Chicago. He had his small apartment and Baby, and while he certainly felt more freedom to pursue his career – Cas being a dick boss aside - it never felt like home. Not even close. Even for those few months after Cas left and he returned back to Lawrence, it never felt right.

But Charlie’s right. Home isn’t a place for him. It’s the people. It’s Sam and Jess in California. It’s Charlie and Jo in Lawrence, along with Bobby and Ellen. Maybe even John now, a work in progress. It’s with his Mom, wherever she may be now. And… and it’s with Cas, all the way in Vancouver. Undeniably.

“Have I ever told you how awesome you are?” Dean croaks.

Charlie beams at him, the smile bright enough to light up the night. “Not nearly enough.”

Dean snorts. “So yeah, Cas and I are trying to figure out how this is gonna work. Looks like we might be staying with Gabriel until we can find our own place, if he’ll allow it. It’s not ideal, but it would have to do for now.”

“It’ll all work out,” Charlie assures him. Dean nods, hoping she’s right. There’s a bigger monster they’ll have to deal with eventually, but for now, it’s one step at a time. Enough talking about him and Cas, though. Thinking too much about the logistics of their situation makes Dean’s head hurt.

“How ‘bout you and Jo?” he asks. “You both looking at getting a place together yet?”

In a rare moment, Charlie actually looks nervous. Her hands fidgeting on the steering wheel is an obvious indicator. “Yeah, about that.”

Dean turns his body to face her in the seat. “Charlene Bradbury, I swear if you tell me you two broke up…”

She gives an uneasy laugh but shakes her head. “No, nothing like that. It’s just that I got offered a promotion – the one I never thought they’d give me because, ya know, male dominated space, glass ceiling. That stuff.”

Now Dean’s confused. “Well, um, that’s great. Congrats? I’m not following why this is a bad thing.”

“It means they want me to move to Seattle, where their headquarters is.”

“Oh.”

Charlie gives a weak, humorless laugh. “I don’t know how I’m gonna tell her. We’ve looked at a few places to take that next step together. She really loves this one apartment that has these beautiful wood floors and a kitchen to die for – not that we’re master chefs or anything. It has an extra room that I’d turn into my ‘nerd room’ and this built-in entertainment area in the family room for Jo to keep her old records and movies. It’s perfect…” Her voice cracks on the last word, and it hurts something in Dean’s heart.

“Hey, hey - none of that,” Dean says softly, reaching for her hand to give it a comforting squeeze. It’s the best he can do since he can’t exactly hug her close in a car while she’s driving. “There’s no way this is tearing you guys apart.”

“Didn’t it happen to you?”

The whispered comment is like a slap in the face, but not because of lingering feelings. Dean clenches his jaw. “That was different.”

“How?” Charlie demands, withdrawing her hand from Dean’s. “This is exactly what happened with you guys. You wanted to move to Chicago, but Jo didn’t. How is there a compromise in this situation? One person has to give up their dream for the other. Can we really expect that of each other, especially when we’re not even married? Hell, we’re not even _engaged_. What if she decides I’m not it for her? It’s basically game over for us.”

 “Whoa, back up a second,” Dean says, trying not to draw from Charlie’s frustrations. “First of all, you’re assuming she has no interest in moving. Second of all, you can’t compare the two relationships. Jo and I -  we were younger and trying to figure out what we wanted out of life. Our breakup was a long time coming. You know that. It didn’t end because she wouldn’t move to Chicago with me; that was just the catalyst. It ended because we were trying to make something work that wasn’t right. She didn’t love me, and I didn’t love her. But you guys? Come on, Charlie. She never looked at me the way she looks at you.”

Charlie sniffles, quickly swiping away a tear from under her eyes but keeping her attention on the road. “I know, I know. That – that wasn’t fair for me to say. I’m just…” She shakes her head.

“You love her, and you’re scared,” Dean finishes for her. “Believe me, I know the feeling too well.” Charlie gives him a sad smile, but Dean wishes she didn’t. He doesn’t want sympathy, he just wants Charlie to know he understands. “I’m not saying it’ll be easy. I’m just saying don’t write this off as game over yet. It’ll all work out,” he adds, purposely repeating Charlie’s words back to her.

She snorts at that, but looks less like a kicked puppy about the whole situation. “What am I gonna do without you here?”

Dean nudges her shoulder gently. “The same thing we did when I was in Chicago.”

“Hells yeah,” she says fondly. “And hey, if this all works out, Seattle isn’t far from Vancouver.”

Or Stanford, for that matter. Sure, it’s still some ways off, but not impossibly so. Which only reminds Dean of how he still has to tell the rest of his family. He’s mostly terrified of Bobby and Ellen’s reactions. John might not say much the topic, since they’re trying to mend their broken relationship. Well, and the fact that he can’t exactly say much about his relationship with Cas ever since he pulled that stunt at the wedding. But Bobby and Ellen? They’ve forgiven Cas for Dean’s sake, but it’s obvious their trust has been shaken. Sam will probably caution him and make sure he’s absolutely certain, but support him nonetheless. Jess adored Vancouver when they all went for the wedding back in September, so she’ll probably be jealous Dean will be living there instead of her.

The other challenge will be with Benny, given they have their firm they’ve been trying to establish. It’s been a rocky start trying to get their name out there, so maybe this could be a good thing for them. Kansas isn’t exactly the prime location in terms of demand for architecture. Dean’s fairly certain they won’t be able to set up shop in Canada, but Washington isn’t bad architecture-wise.

When Dean met Benny, the guy went wherever life took him. He’s spent a lot of time learning different skills when it comes to building and construction. He knows the industry inside and out, and knows a lot of people in a lot of places because of his travels. It’s why he decided to go the general contracting route than keeping to subcontracting. Dean’s pretty confident Benny won’t have any qualms about moving to Washington, considering he had no real ties to Kansas until they met at The Roadhouse that one night.

Another conversation for another day, though. For now, the firm will have to be put on hold until Dean has this move to Canada sorted out. One step at a time, he reminds himself.

One step at a time.

*****

Getting up in the mornings is always a chore. Especially on Mondays. And _especially_ on the Mondays when Dean was there in bed with Castiel just the day before. The pillows and the sheets still smell like him, which only makes Castiel even less thrilled to get up. It hasn’t even been twenty four hours since Dean’s flight back to Kansas, but there’s already a longing ache in Castiel’s chest. Who is he kidding, though. The ache’s always there, as long as he and Dean are living separately.

Castiel reaches over to the nightstand and grabs his phone to check for messages. A quick scroll through his emails says there are no emergencies waiting for him at work. Next, he checks his messenger app and finds there’s a message from Dean.

Now that he and Dean are in separate countries, they can’t exactly text without driving up their phone bills, so they’ve converted to using something called Whatsapp. Neither of them used it before, but they created accounts just to be able to keep in touch without shelling out money for an international phone plan. Even though he mostly uses it to talk to Dean, everyone else decided to download it to keep in touch with him. He’s even in a group chat with Dean, Sam, Jess, Charlie, and Jo. It’s never short of entertaining conversations. But considering Dean normally wakes up first, thanks to their time zones, Castiel’s usually waking up to ‘good morning’ messages from him.

Castiel’s about to open the message thread before the loud blast of music from the bathroom nearly startles him out of bed. It’s seven in the morning, what could Gabriel possibly be doing up this early? Especially on the day that Castiel wanted to cook breakfast and butter him up for the conversation he planned to have today. Scrambling out of bed, he darts for the door and throws it open just in time to see Gabriel walking, more like dancing, into the bathroom with his wireless speaker in hand.

“Gabriel!”

His call catches Gabe’s attention and he pauses in closing the door, a guilty smile on his face. “I know, I know. I was about to turn the music down so don’t get your undies in a wad.”

“What are you doing up already?” Castiel demands, ignoring the teasing comment.

“Last night Kali asked if I could give her a ride to work today. Something’s up with her car.”

Right – Castiel had forgotten. Ever since meeting Kali, Gabriel’s been nothing but the picture perfect boyfriend. But why did Gabriel’s efforts at being a decent human have to happen the day Castiel needs to talk to him?

“Well, I need to use the bathroom first,” he says assertively.

Gabriel raises his eyebrows. “Dude, you can have it in fifteen minutes. Use the one downstairs if you have to piss so bad.”

“I have to leave in an hour. I get first priority for the shower.”

Gabriel levels him with a stare before rolling his eyes and making a show of turning off his music. “Whatever. And if you’re gonna rub one out while you’re in there, make it fast, okay? Kali will kill me if I’m late.”

Giving a small huff, Castiel pushes past Gabriel and closes the door behind him. He makes quick work of taking his shower and going about his morning routine. Once he’s dressed and he hears the shower to signify Gabe’s preoccupied, he heads downstairs to the kitchen. Hopefully Gabriel takes his time getting ready because Castiel might need a few attempts at making breakfast. He’s not _terrible_ at cooking, but there’s a reason he usually sticks to cereal and bagels in the morning. Dean’s the one who makes the good stuff.

Castiel tries his hand at French toast, knowing it’s one of Gabriel’s favorite breakfast foods. He’s just glad they don’t burn. What they lack in spectacular taste will be compensated by the mountain of whipped cream Gabe’s sure to smother them with. He’s just setting the plate on the table when the man in question makes his appearance in the kitchen.

“Whoa, you’re cooking breakfast?” Gabriel gives him a suspicious look before sitting down at the table. “What’s the occasion?”

“Um,” Castiel pauses to fetch his own plate and takes his spot at the table, glad to see the whipped cream’s already in the process of covering nearly every inch of the bread. Good. Maybe this means the conversation will go better. “No occasion. Just figured I’d make my brother breakfast on this nondescript Monday morning.”

Gabriel cuts himself off a bite, and if it really tastes horrible, he spares Castiel’s feelings by not pulling any faces. “We both know that’s bullshit. Out with it,” he says after swallowing the bite.

Castiel pours syrup over his French toast instead of the whipped cream, taking a small breath to steady his nerves. Might as well get right to the point. “I know it’s a lot to ask – and you’ve been generous with helping me out these past few months – but I have an important favor to ask of you.”

“You want Ken doll to move in,” Gabriel says simply as he shoves another forkful in his mouth.

Castiel frowns at the nickname, but refrains from making a comment. Dean always hates when Gabriel calls him that, but for now, Castiel needs to hold his tongue to keep in Gabe’s good graces.

“It would only be temporary, of course, until we find our own place. But we’re tired of being apart, Gabe. For once we just…” Castiel sighs, shaking his head. “We just want to feel some semblance of normalcy.”

The thoughtful way Gabriel chews gives no indication as to where his mind is at. It’s making the couple of bites Castiel’s eaten feel like lead in his stomach. “So you’re saying I’ll have to listen to you two do the dirty every night?”

Heat spreads across Castiel’s cheeks. “It won’t be every night. But it’s your house, and we’ll follow whatever rules you want us to.”

“It’s not _my_ house,” Gabe snorts. “It’s… it’s yours as much as it is mine.”

Which is technically true, but then not really. This is the house they both grew up in. Their childhood home. Even so, it doesn’t feel like the house belongs to anyone. When their father left, he was at least generous enough to keep paying the mortgage on it. Castiel assumes it was out of guilt, because it’s one thing to abandon your family, but apparently the line is drawn when it comes to potentially leaving your children to deal with being tossed out on the streets. They’re so lucky to have such a thoughtful father.

Once it was just Castiel and his brothers – which quickly became just him and Michael - left in the house, any feelings of home evaporated out of the foundation. The walls. The pictures on them that were ignored on passing. Michael certainly never claimed the house as his own. When he died, leaving Castiel alone, he never claimed it either. It was simply the place he had to stay put in until he finished high school and moved away for college. Castiel mentioned selling the house since Gabriel was wherever he was and the house was empty, but Gabriel insisted they keep it – probably thinking their father might eventually return. That was the time when their relationship was broken - Castiel only talking to Gabe when needed, so he didn’t care to push the subject. Little did he know Gabriel had rented it out to a few people throughout the years, and even stayed there himself in between his travels instead of selling as Castiel had thought he might one day. It’s no wonder Castiel assumes his brother has more ownership over it. Maybe Gabriel feels just as disconnected to it as him, using it more as a resource than for any sentimental value.

“Fair enough, but I won’t have Dean move in if you are opposed. I know my ego, at least before the incident, was rather… much, but I don’t want to be that person again. I don’t want to invoke commands for whatever it is I want without considering others involved.” Castiel frowns, that familiar shame beginning to surface for whenever he thinks of who he was before everything happened. He hates that person.

Gabriel’s eyes soften, and for a moment, Castiel thinks he’s going to reach out to him. It’s covered by another façade, though, as Gabriel dramatically sighs. “Jesus Christ, Cas. Save the heavy talk for later in the day, will ya?” Castiel gives a small laugh under his breath, but doesn’t interrupt as Gabriel continues. “Yeah, yeah – whatever. Dean can move in. Just try not to have shower sex, okay? Other people gotta use that thing too, ya know.”

Castiel wants to throw his arms around Gabriel and thank him a million times over, but as they’re rebuilding their relationship, they haven’t been too affectionate towards each other. Gabriel shows it through snide remarks and teasing, while Castiel shows it through a roll of his eyes and the occasional smile he hopes says all he wants to say. So that’s what he does.

With a quirk of his lips, Castiel levels his brother with a stare. “You know it’s a two way street, Gabe.”

He groans. “That was one time! I was drunk!”

Castiel chuckles and resumes eating his French toast. “You say that way too often. I’m impressed you’ve kept Kali as long as you have.”

“As long as she doesn’t eat your French toast, I think she’s going to stick around,” Gabriel retorts with a wide grin, shoving a forkful of the bread and whipped cream in his mouth. Grumbling to himself about how he tried, Castiel finishes eating before getting up from the table. He returns upstairs to grab his brief case and phone, pausing to read over Dean’s message.

_Morning, sunshine.  
Sorry I fell asleep on ya last night. I barely made it to my bed before I passed out. God, I’m glad the end is in sight for having to go on a fucking plane ever again. Once I get there, you’re gonna be paying me in sex for all the suffering I’ve had to do. Btw, Charlie took the news well. She wasn’t surprised. She might be moving out of Kansas, too. I’ll explain later. I gotta load up on coffee before Benny and I drive out to check the progress of that home renovation I was telling you about. It’s a small project, but it’s one more thing under our belt. Which, by the way, fair warning for the jealous fiancé: I’m also going to be taking Benny out to his favorite bar tonight. He and I got some stuff to figure out for the firm. I’m also calling Sam at some point today to tell him, too. Maybe send me a nice picture to keep me going? ;) Anyway, kick it in the ass today like you always do, okay? I miss you already, Cas._

Castiel feels his heart swell at the words on his screen. But when the guilt of reading everything Dean has do now in order for them to be together the way they want arises, he shoves it away and locks it behind some door in his mind. If Dean were here, he wouldn’t want to see Castiel continuing to beat himself up over circumstances neither of them can change. If he’s going to even try to make up for his mistakes, it won’t be by wallowing in self-pity. Look where that’s gotten them. He’s going to make sure Dean doesn’t regret his decisions, and he won’t undermine Dean’s feelings by questioning whether they’re valid or not. Dean obviously trusts Castiel, so it’s only right he trusts Dean knows what he wants.

Taking a small breath, he smiles at the message, especially at Dean’s request for him to send a picture, and types back his reply:

_Good morning, Dean.  
It’s okay about last night. I figured the flight would take a lot out of you, so I appreciate you at least letting me know you landed safely. I promise we can do whatever you want once you get here. It’s only right after how amazing you’ve been through everything. I’m glad to hear Charlie took the news well. I had little doubt she’d be opposed, but her support is always a breath of fresh air. Good luck with Sam and Benny. I wish I could be there to tell them with you, but I guess if I were, we wouldn’t need to have these conversations in the first place. Regardless, I’ll try to sneak you something on my lunch break today to keep you motivated for what you have waiting for you here ;) I should also tell you that I talked with Gabriel this morning, and he gave his blessing for you moving in. I’ll start modifying my room to better fit the both of us, even though I’ll miss us being cramped together on the full. Send pictures of how the remodel is going – and one of you might not be so bad either. Be sure to tell Benny I said hello (I am not jealous, Dean). _

_I miss you, too._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed ♥  
> [My Tumblr](http://blissfulcastiel.tumblr.com)


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